This data reflects a growing trend – visits to EDs are on the rise. From 2001 to 2008, ED visits increased 60 percent faster than population growth during an eight year period, according to a study published in “Annals of Emergency Medicine.” The number of ED visits is expected to increase as the national population grows, and the U.S. population is projected to increase by nearly 27.3 percent by 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 National Projections.

This presents a challenge for communities as health care system consolidations and closures spread. The “Journal of the American Medical Association” reports that from 1990 to 2009, the number of EDs in non-rural areas declined by 27 percent. Hospitals will need to adapt to increases in the volume of patients seeking immediate care by being equipped with emergency professionals who can provide prompt valuation and care.